adult

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
6
Words With Friends
8
Letters
5
Pronunciation
/ˈæd.ʌlt/
See all 12 pronunciations
/ˈæd.ʌlt/ · /ˈæd.əlt/ · /əˈdʌlt/ · [əˈdʌɫt] · [ˈæɾl̩t] · [ˈadʌɫt] · [ˈadʊɫt] · [ˈad(ə)ɫt] · [aˈdʌɫt] · [əˈdʊɫt] · /əˈdɒlt/ · /ˈæd.ɒlt/

Definition of adult

12 senses · 3 parts of speech · etymology included

noun

  1. An animal that is full-grown.
    “The young not only differs from the adult by the presence of its gills, but its feet are only developed by degrees, and in several genera there are also a deciduous beak and tail, and intestines of a different form”
See all 12 definitions

noun

  1. An animal that is full-grown.
    “The young not only differs from the adult by the presence of its gills, but its feet are only developed by degrees, and in several genera there are also a deciduous beak and tail, and intestines of a different form”
  2. A person who has reached the legal age of majority.

adj

  1. Fully grown.
    “an adult human, animal, or plant”
    “The paws of the adult brown bear, and also their hams, especially when smoked, are considered a great delicacy.”
  2. Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.
    “adult clothes; adult cereal; an adult documentary”
    “In May 1967 the WGBH Education Division submitted an initial proposal to HUD for a series of four adult television documentaries on conservation in an urban environment.”
  3. Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.
    “adult situations; adult discussions”
  4. Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.
    “an adult drink; an adult root beer float”
  5. (usually)Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.
    “an adult cookie; adult gummy worms”
  6. Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.
    “an adult movie”
    “This program contains adult content. Parental discretion is advised.”
  7. Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.
    “adult language; an adult cartoon”
  8. Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.
    “an adult menu; an adult fare”
    “Children go free, but for those 12 and up, you must purchase an adult ticket.”
    “The Storehouse is open daily from 09:30 to 17:00, except for during July and August when it stays open until 19:00. Adult admission is €14, children under 12 pay €5, and children under 6 go free. You get a 10% discount if you book online.”
    “At the far end of the table and almost immediately opposite her father sat Colophon. Next to her sat her cousin Jules, who had turned twelve the preceding year and was therefore enjoying his second year at the adult table.”
    “A few days later, we had finished a day of sunbathing and oscillating between the kiddie pool and the adult pool, always settling for the latter after one too many baby Hamoudies had taken a shit in the pool.”

verb

  1. (intransitive, slang)To behave like an adult.
    “Adulting is hard!”
  2. (nonstandard, rare)To (cause to) be or become an adult.
    “Womanhood was achieved at twenty-one, when the female was "adulted"; manhood was fully achieved at twenty-five, […]”
    “The process of adulting children[…] overlaps with the process of the uncontrolled infiltration of the media[…] into children’s imagination.”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

From French adulte, from Latin adultus (“grown up”), perfect passive participle of adolescō (“to grow up”). Compare adolescent.

Anagrams of adult

2 plays · some not in Scrabble

Hooks

1 extension · 1 back

A single letter you can add to adult to make another valid word.

Find your best play with adult

See every word you can make from a set of letters that includes adult, or browse word lists you can mine for high-scoring plays.